How To Use A Simulator To Dial In Your Wedges And Gapping

It is very common for golfers to think they need perfectly even yardage gaps between their wedges. For example, pitching wedge at 130, gap wedge at 115, sand wedge at 100, lob wedge at 85. Nice, neat, 15-yard increments. But that’s not how wedge gapping actually works.

Your wedge setup needs to match your swing, your course conditions and your actual shot patterns. Sometimes, te simulator data that looks “wrong” is telling you exactly what you need to know.

Why simulator data matters for wedges

Carry distance versus total distance

Most golfers focus on total distance, i.e., where the ball ends up after landing and rolling. Simulators show carry distance, which is what actually matters for approach shots. That 105-yard shot that rolls to 115 on firm fairways only carries 105. When you’re flying it to a pin, carry is your number.

Spin rate tells the real story

Two wedges might carry similar distances but one spins at 7,500 rpm and the other at 9,500. That 2,000-rpm difference means one checks up and the other spins back.

Consistency matters more than distance

A wedge that carries anywhere from 95 to 108 yards creates a 13-yard dispersion. A scoring killer. The simulator shows you which wedges you actually control and which ones are taking up space in your bag.

The numbers you need to track

Focus on four specific data points when testing wedges on a simulator.

Carry distance

Hit 10 shots with each wedge at full swing. Throw out the best and worst. Average the other eight. That’s your carry number.

Spin rate

Consistent spin matters more than maximum spin. A wedge that spins between 8,000 and 9,000 rpm is more useful than one that varies from 7,000 to 10,000.

Angle of descent

This is the most underrated number. A shot coming down at 45 degrees stops faster than one at 38 degrees, even with similar spin rates. If your wedge flies low and relies purely on spin to stop, it’ll be inconsistent on different green conditions.

Dispersion pattern

The scatter plot shows where your shots land. If your 60-degree wedge sprays left and right while your 54 is tight, that tells you something.

What the simulator reveals about bad gapping

Simulators expose the same mistakes repeatedly.

Wedges too close together

Let’s say you hit your pitching wedge 130 yards, your 50-degree 125 and 54-degree 120. You don’t need three wedges covering a total of 10 yards. Better gapping would be 130, 115, 100.

The random gap problem

The opposite problem: wedges at 135, 118 and 95. That 17-yard gap between the first two is manageable. That 23-yard canyon between the second and third? That’s where scores die.

Wrong bounce for your swing

The simulator reveals if you’re catching wedges thin or heavy consistently. If your 56-degree with 14 degrees of bounce produces inconsistent contact while your 52 with eight degrees is pure every time, you might need less bounce across the board.

How to dial in your setup

Follow a systematic process when building your wedge setup.

Start with your scoring clubs

Test your pitching wedge and your highest-lofted wedge first. These are your bookends. If your PW carries 135 and your 60-degree carries 80, you’ve got 55 yards to fill with one or two wedges.

Test different lofts and bounces

The simulator lets you test a 52, 54 and 56 back-to-back without buying all three. Hit 10 shots with each. Look at carry distance, spin and consistency.

Make one change at a time

Don’t replace all your wedges at once. Change one wedge, get comfortable with it, and then look at the gaps above and below.

The limitations you need to understand

Simulators are incredible tools but they’re not perfect for wedge work.

The simulator doesn’t account for your specific course conditions. Poa annua versus bentgrass, soft greens from rain versus baked-out surfaces. A shot that spins back on the simulator might release on your home course.

Temperature matters, too. That 105-yard carry in a climate-controlled bay might be 100 yards on a cold morning. Simulators typically show shots from perfect lies. Your 58-degree might be money on the simulator but useless from tight lies on your course.

Making it work where it counts

The simulator gives you the data. The course tells you if that data matters.

Take your simulator numbers to the course and test them. Does your 54-degree really carry 110 yards to that pin? Are your spin rates holding up on real greens?

Use the simulator to build your wedge setup, then use the course to refine it. The goal isn’t perfect data. It’s better scores. If your wedge gapping looks weird on paper but helps you get up and down more often, you’ve got the right setup.

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